Pieter, et. al. I think you are partly right in regard to paying attention to your trackwork. This becomes even more persnickety when you use "fine" scale, or "Proto" scale. However, no matter what SCALE (N, HO, S, G etc.) there are standards which have been developed for a purpose. HO scale, using RP25 wheels, has specific track standards developed by the NMRA for using those wheels. S scale, using essentially the same wheel profile, also has specific standards for using those wheels, developed by the NASG. You can't expect trains equipped with Flyer wheels to run on track built to NASG standards, nor can you expect trains equipped with Proto:64 wheels to run on the same track. Each wheel has it's own track standards. It's physics!
One of the items covered in those track standards is rail profile. Flyer wheels run great on round-top rail. RP25 wheels don't, being designed for rail with a small-round-edge rail as is common among "scale" modelers, and there is a specific dimension for the standards, but I don't have it at hand at the moment. You CAN run pizza-cutter Flyer wheels on "scale" rail if the height is sufficient that the wheels don't run on the ties, but NOT if the track flanges are built to NASG standards. As to the physics of "true scale" wheels, otherwise known as Proto:64, there is one additional item that comes into play. You all know that the prototype does not use "rigid" trucks, but that full size trucks have springs, and equalizers. When you go to using the small flanges of Proto scales in any scale, it becomes necessary to use sprung or equalizing trucks. AND engines! The small flanges will work great, as long as they can maintain contact with the rail. Rigid trucks or engine frames are a big problem. SO, if you just want to "play with the trains", then Flyer is great! If'n you want to make a "kinda like the real thing" layout, then NASG "scale" is even better! And if'n you want to photograph your equipment and not know whether the photo is live or tape (Memorex), then Proto is the way to go. But please, don't ask me to run my Proto:64 equipment on your "scale" track. It'll just won't work right. Nor will your NASG equipment run on my Proto:64 track. It's physics. AND standards. Thankfully, there's room enough for all of us in the S-Scale trainroom! Darrell S --- In [email protected], Pieter Roos <pieter_roos@...> wrote: > > Hi Tom; > > Most HO uses code 110 wheels, same profile as S Scale, on code 100 or code 83 > rail, same height as ours. Their cars are lighter, and the gauge narrower, > but both those factors work against the smaller scale. > > The proportion of the flange to the scale of the car doesn't matter, both HO > and N have the same or smaller flanges as S. Flange to rail size might, but > really only if the rail is too small for the flange. In the end, if you are > depending on the flange depth to keep stuff on the rails then your trackwork > is too rough. > > If HO and N can do it, there is no reason we can't if we want to (and more > easily). > > Pieter E. Roos > > > --- On Fri, 2/25/11, Thomas Stoltz <tstoltz@...> wrote: > > <SNIP> > > Could it be that the H0 and N "scale" equipment has what we > > would consider > > Hi-rail flanges? I think maybe it's the size of the > > flanges (in proportion > > to the truck size) rather than the size of the rail. > > I know N is nowhere > > near scale and I don't think you see any P87 portable > > layout at shows. > > > > > > > > Thank you, > > > > > > > > Tom Stoltz > > > > > > > > Tom's Turnouts & Trackwork > > Maine S Gaugers > > NASG > > > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
